Only individuals who have met all the requirements for certification and have been issued a license to practice as a New York State licensed registered dental assistant may use the title "registered dental assistant". (see Licensure Requirements and Procedure section)
No, unless he or she also holds a New York State license. Only New York State licensed registered dental assistants may perform dental supportive services listed in section 6608 of New York State Education Law (see question 4 below).
If a dental assistant is not licensed, he or she may NOT perform any duties within the scope of practice of any licensed individual. For information regarding scope of practice see question 10.
Yes. That is the illegal practice of a profession. Education Law makes it a Class E felony for an unlicensed person (other than a student in a registered dental assisting program, as described in question 9 below) to do so. A Class E felony may be punishable by a fine of up to double the gain from the crime or $5,000, whichever is higher and/or up to four years in prison. Upon the State Education Department's request, the New York State Attorney General prosecutes persons found practicing without a license. Licensees may be subject to charges of unprofessional conduct for allowing an unlicensed individual to engage in illegal practice. Aiding and abetting 3 or more individuals in such illegal practice may also be subject to felony prosecution.
A New York State licensed registered dental assistant may
All supportive services must be performed under a licensed dentist's direct personal supervision.
No, a NYSRDA can not use a rotary handpiece but can use a hand instrument to reduce an amalgam restoration.
No. According to Education Law 6608, NYSRDA's cannot perform irreversible procedures or procedures that would alter the hard or soft tissue of the oral and maxillofacial area or any other procedures determined by the department.
A registered dental assistant shall not diagnose, perform surgical procedures, perform irreversible procedures or procedures that would alter the hard or soft tissue of the oral and maxillofacial area. Although authorized to do so, the Department has not yet specified any other procedures that a licensed registered dental assistant is prohibited from performing at this time.
New York State laws, rules and regulations set the boundaries within which licensed professionals may practice and within which others are prohibited from practicing unless otherwise authorized; this is called the scope of practice of the profession. This means that a New York State licensed registered dental assistant may not perform any of the duties or responsibilities limited to the scope of practice of dentistry or dental hygiene. For example, no dental assistant may apply pit and fissure sealants because this procedure is within the scope of practice of a dental hygienist and is not explicitly listed within the scope of practice of a licensed registered dental assistant.
The scope of practice is within the laws and regulations of the State of New York, which may be found on the Dental Board Web site. For dentistry, the scope of practice may be found in section 6601 of Education Law. For dental hygiene, the scope may be found in section 6606 of Education Law and section 61.9 of the Commissioner's Regulations. For the scope of practice for other licensed professions, please visit our Web site.
Direct personal supervision means supervision of dental procedures based on instructions given in the course of a procedure by a licensed dentist who remains in the dental office where the supportive services are being performed, personally diagnoses the condition to be treated, personally authorizes the procedures, and before dismissal of the patient, who remains the responsibility of the licensed dentist, evaluates the services performed by the licensed registered dental assistant.
Yes. A student in a dental assisting program registered by the New York State Education Department as meeting the educational requirement for licensure may also perform these supportive services as part of that course of study. Additionally, a dental assistant who has been issued a limited permit to practice and individuals licensed or otherwise authorized to practice dentistry or dental hygiene in New York State may perform these supportive services. No other dental personnel may do so unless otherwise authorized.
Under Part 29 of the Rules of the Board of Regents, it is unprofessional conduct for a licensee to perform any services that are beyond his or her individual professional competence. Therefore, if a licensee is not competent to perform a function, even if it falls within the legal scope of practice, he or she may not perform the function. It is the responsibility of the licensee to practice within his or her abilities and expertise.
Furthermore, the supervising dentist must be aware of the competency of the assistant. It is unprofessional conduct for a licensee to delegate professional responsibilities he or she knows or has reason to know that the dental assistant or hygienist is not competent to perform.
Every dental professional licensed by the New York State Education Department and practicing in New York State must conspicuously display his or her current certificate of registration to practice that profession. In hospitals and similar facilities licensed by the New York State Department of Health, such persons must wear tags showing name and profession.
The protected title for a New York State licensed registered dental assistant is "registered dental assistant" as stated in section 6608-a of New York State Education Law. However, the New York State Board for Dentistry recognizes that New York State licensed registered dental assistants may use the letters RDA following their names to identify that they are licensed and registered to practice as dental assistants in the State of New York, if they so desire.
No. A dental assistant not licensed by New York State may not perform patient services independently or perform any tasks that are within the scope of practice of any licensed profession. The unlicensed dental assistant may provide supportive services with a dentist who is personally performing the service or procedure and is physically present at the chairside and attending to the patient. An unlicensed dental assistant acts as an extra pair of hands for the dentist during procedures, performing tasks such as suctioning excess saliva, providing instruments, or holding a matrix strip or curing lamp while the dentist is practicing on the patient. This is often referred to as "four handed dentistry" and may only be performed while the dentist is physically attending to the patient with the dental assistant.
An unlicensed dental assistant may not perform any supportive service while the dentist is not physically present at the chairside and attending to the patient.
An unlicensed dental assistant may perform such tasks as:
No. Additional education and certification are not required. In accordance with section 3515(4)(c) of the Public Health Law and section 89.45 of the Administrative Rules and Regulations for Public Health, a person acting as a dental assistant, licensed or unlicensed, may operate radiographic dental equipment, under the supervision of a licensed dentist, for the sole purpose of routine oral radiography in which the x-ray beam is limited to the patient's head.
Section 89.45 of the Administrative Rules and Regulations for Public Health state that a dental assistant may operate conventional radiographic dental equipment in which the diameter of the x-ray beam at the patient's face is limited to not more than 3 inches. He or she may also operate panoramic dental equipment of the laminographic extraoral tube and film type, provided that the use of this equipment is for the sole purpose of routine dental radiography.
* IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL INDIVIDUALS TAKING X-RAYS: Please note that effective March 12, 2007, Education Law requires any dentist or dental hygienist performing dental x-rays must not only shield the torso but must also shield the thyroid area of the patient unless in the dentist's professional judgment the use of a thyroid collar would be inappropriate under the circumstances, because of the nature of the patient, the type of x-ray being taken, or other factors.
Although the law does not specifically state that dental assistants must comply with this requirement, the Department advises that all individuals taking dental x-rays follow these precautions.
To be licensed, a person must:
Yes. All dental assistants who are seeking licensure must meet all licensure requirements.
Students enrolled in dental assisting programs registered by the New York State Education Department as meeting the educational requirement for licensure are exempt from the requirement of licensure while performing the duties of a New York State licensed registered dental assistant as part of their course of study. Additionally, applicants for licensure as registered dental assistants may work while practicing under a limited permit.
An individual may request an application packet that includes all forms and instructions from the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions, Division of Professional Licensing Services, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234-1000 or access licensing information and forms from our Web site.
The fee is $95.00 for the license and initial three-year registration. The fee for registration renewal is $50.00 for each three-year registration period.
An applicant must meet both the education requirement and the examination requirement. The examination is offered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc. (DANB), 444 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60611; telephone: 1-800-367-3262; fax: 312-642-1475. There are three (3) ways to meet the examination requirement.